tobor
Active Member
After reading the novel Logan’s run again recently, (the last time was over 30 years ago) I decided to make a DS gun that more closely resembled the description in the book. Basically it has to be a six shot revolver. The film and TV DS gun is one of my favourite prop designs, so I wanted it to resemble this as much as possible, but be an obvious revolver. There’s not a lot of description in the book, the colour is described as cold blue steel, and it has a pearl handle. It fires six different rounds: Nitro, Vapour, Neddler, Ripper, Tangler and Homer.
I started by making the cylinder. I used 3mm aluminium plate and 10mm diameter tube. These were just stuck together with JB Weld.
The main frame was made from 12mm aluminium plate. I was cutting this by hand with a hacksaw, so could only cut straight lines. Therefore I had to make it in two pieces. The front fin was cut from 5mm plate. The bullets were made from 8mm aluminium rod.
The two halves of the frame were fixed together with some brass pins and JB Weld. Instead of trying to tap some threads to fix the side plates on, I used M6 stud connectors. The holes were drilled slightly undersized and the stud connectors hammered in place. The trigger is made from 5mm plate and is held in place with a brass pin. It’s in a fixed position and doesn’t move. You can see my first attempt at a trigger, but I wasn’t happy with the shape.
The grips were made from layers of styrene and finished with car body filler. The muzzle was made from 32mm aluminium tube with a 25mm internal diameter. The main tube is 25mm and the rear tube is 28mm diameter. The cylinder cover is made from 50mm tube with a 5mm wall thickness. The side plates are 3mm thick.
For the front of the muzzle I got an aluminium tapered washer. Not only was the outside diameter correct, the hole in the middle was 8mm, the same size as the bullets. For the end of the rear cylinder I cut the centre of a machined TOS phaser emitter I had. The gun is held together with metal pins, and will be epoxied at final assembly.
The main construction is done.
I want to differentiate between the types of rounds, so I’m thinking of colour coding the bullets. I could paint the tips of the bullets different colours and have corresponding coloured dots on the rear tube, like the coloured dots on the TV guns.
The main cylinder and rear tube do turn, but are not connected in any way. My original idea was to connect them with gears and a ratchet system, but it was too tricky for me to make.
I wanted to have elements of both the film and the TV guns in the design. It has the rounded grips and front switch of the film gun, and the fin and trigger shape of the TV version. I decided to go without the glow plug.
I’ve put in a mounting point so the gun can be fixed to a display stand.
I’m in two minds on how to finish the gun. I could just paint it satin black, or go for a metal finish with simulated pearl grips.
If go for a metal finish, I would like it a lot darker than it is now. I understand that gun blueing doesn’t work on aluminium. I’ve heard of Birchwood Casey ALUMINIUM BLACK. I’m not sure what this actually does.
I have no idea how to simulate pearl grips. Is there a painting method? I’ve had no luck finding any information on the web yet.
I started by making the cylinder. I used 3mm aluminium plate and 10mm diameter tube. These were just stuck together with JB Weld.
The main frame was made from 12mm aluminium plate. I was cutting this by hand with a hacksaw, so could only cut straight lines. Therefore I had to make it in two pieces. The front fin was cut from 5mm plate. The bullets were made from 8mm aluminium rod.
The two halves of the frame were fixed together with some brass pins and JB Weld. Instead of trying to tap some threads to fix the side plates on, I used M6 stud connectors. The holes were drilled slightly undersized and the stud connectors hammered in place. The trigger is made from 5mm plate and is held in place with a brass pin. It’s in a fixed position and doesn’t move. You can see my first attempt at a trigger, but I wasn’t happy with the shape.
The grips were made from layers of styrene and finished with car body filler. The muzzle was made from 32mm aluminium tube with a 25mm internal diameter. The main tube is 25mm and the rear tube is 28mm diameter. The cylinder cover is made from 50mm tube with a 5mm wall thickness. The side plates are 3mm thick.
For the front of the muzzle I got an aluminium tapered washer. Not only was the outside diameter correct, the hole in the middle was 8mm, the same size as the bullets. For the end of the rear cylinder I cut the centre of a machined TOS phaser emitter I had. The gun is held together with metal pins, and will be epoxied at final assembly.
The main construction is done.
I want to differentiate between the types of rounds, so I’m thinking of colour coding the bullets. I could paint the tips of the bullets different colours and have corresponding coloured dots on the rear tube, like the coloured dots on the TV guns.
The main cylinder and rear tube do turn, but are not connected in any way. My original idea was to connect them with gears and a ratchet system, but it was too tricky for me to make.
I wanted to have elements of both the film and the TV guns in the design. It has the rounded grips and front switch of the film gun, and the fin and trigger shape of the TV version. I decided to go without the glow plug.
I’ve put in a mounting point so the gun can be fixed to a display stand.
I’m in two minds on how to finish the gun. I could just paint it satin black, or go for a metal finish with simulated pearl grips.
If go for a metal finish, I would like it a lot darker than it is now. I understand that gun blueing doesn’t work on aluminium. I’ve heard of Birchwood Casey ALUMINIUM BLACK. I’m not sure what this actually does.
I have no idea how to simulate pearl grips. Is there a painting method? I’ve had no luck finding any information on the web yet.
